Chapter 14 — When the Pack Divides
The kneeling does not last forever.
Lyra feels it before she sees it—the hesitation in the air, the fracture running through the pack like a fault line beneath stone.
Not everyone bows.
A group of wolves remain standing near the back of the hall. Older. Influential. Loyal to tradition more than blood.
Kael notices instantly.
So does the Council.
The head Elder straightens, regaining a measure of composure. “You see?” he says coldly. “Your bond does not unite the pack, Alpha. It divides it.”
Kael’s grip tightens around Lyra’s hand. “Truth often does.”
One of the standing wolves steps forward. Garrick. Former war commander. Respected. Dangerous.
“You defy ancient law,” Garrick says. “You place a rejected woman above the will of the pack.”
Lyra fe
